Overview
It may be news to some Sydneysiders that Adelaide is home to one of the best (if not the best) craft beer festivals in the country. In fact, the Beer and BBQ Festival is just behind the Great Australiasian Beer Spectapular as the largest beerfest in Australia and, dare we say, rivals it as our national favourite. So it's with pleasure that we report that the festival is coming to Sydney for its first interstate event this year. It'll take over Moore Park's Entertainment Quarter for three days from Friday, June 29 through to Sunday, July 1 — and it's got one helluva lineup in store.
The outdoor event will see over 60 brewers descend on the EQ's showring and market canopy areas. Headlining the list is Scottish heavy hitter BrewDog, which, after announcing it will open a brewery in Brisbane, will team up with Aussie locals for some exclusive collab brews that will be available at the fest. Representing the Australian brew scene will be Sydney locals Batch Brewing, Canberra favourite Capital Brewing, Melbourne's Hop Nation, Brisbane's Green Beacon and Adelaide's own Mismatch Brewing, to name a few. Enmore's new P&V Wine and Liquor will also host a stall, and brew masterclasses will be held throughout the weekend.
The barbecue component will be impressively curated by Duncan Welgemoed, the renowned executive chef at Adelaide's award-winning restaurant Africola. He's already roped in locals like Belles Hot Chicken, Bovine and Swine and Mary's, plus one-off food stalls from The Lansdowne and The Unicorn, along with vegan fare from Melbourne's Smith & Daughters.
If that wasn't enough, the music lineup is strong too. The Preatures, Holy Holy, Jen Cloher and Bob Evans are all representing, plus Canada's Matty Matheson (from Viceland's It's Suppertime) and up-and-coming local artists and DJ sets. Live tattooing, a barber shop, locals market, a vinyl record shop and a hot dog eating contest are also on the docket. Yes, it will be one massive weekend and, yes, you should nab tickets straight away.
Speaking of — tickets go on sale on Tuesday April 24, with the option to purchase per session ($30–45) or grab a weekend pass to all four ($80). It might be chilly as it's held outdoors in winter, but this really sets the vibe apart from other beer festivals. And there'll be heaps of bonfires (and beer) to keep you warm.
The Sydney Beer and BBQ Festival will take place on at Moore Park's Entertainment Quarter on Friday, June 29 through Sunday, July 1.